- ECO code
- C67
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,680
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted is the opening filed under ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,680 games on this line — the 70th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1857 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 673 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 24% of those games, 62% end in a draw, and Black wins 14%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 14 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 27 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.d4, played in 982 games, followed by 5.Re1 (689) and 5.Qe2 (6). After 5.d4 White scores 29% and Black 16%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (213 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (176).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation; Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 24% (403)
- Draws 62% (1,037)
- Black 14% (240)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.d4 | 982 | 29/55/16 | — |
| 5.Re1 | 689 | 17/72/11 | — |
| 5.Qe2 | 6 | 17/50/33 | — |
| 5.Bxc6 | 3 | 33/67/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation · 5.d4 Nd6 · 880 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense · 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 · 740 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Ruy Lopez · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 12,516 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 · 3,599 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O · 1,850 games
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 213
- Shirov,A 90
- Anand,V 69
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 176
- So,W 151
- Aronian,L 129
Games per decade
- 1850s 2
- 1860s 20
- 1870s 1
- 1880s 10
- 1890s 33
- 1900s 23
- 1910s 4
- 1920s 1
- 1940s 3
- 1950s 7
- 1960s 12
- 1970s 12
- 1980s 22
- 1990s 33
- 2000s 222
- 2010s 602
- 2020s 673
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Niemann,Hans Moke | 1-0 | 2026 | Niemann-Nepomniachtchi m |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super CRO Arm TB |
| Topalov,V | Erdogmus,Yagiz Kaan | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Clash of Generations III |
| Sheehan,Ethan | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz RR |
| Movahed,Sina | So,W | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 7th Apr 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Sanal,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Reykjavik Open 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted?
It is the opening with ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted good for White or for Black?
In 1,680 master games on this line White wins 24%, 62% are drawn and Black wins 14%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted?
5.d4 — played in 982 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (213), Shirov,A (90), Anand,V (69); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (176), So,W (151), Aronian,L (129).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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